Just for fun

I couldn't resist passing this along...

Happy New Week!

XOXO,

Lucky Dog

♥

Texas Bluebonnets

People on FaceBook are posting

the prettiest photos of the bluebonnets this year in Texas.

I've heard the area near Ennis, south of Dallas,

is best this year.

'Cause every year is different.

Some years are better than others,

rain and all that.

And when it's a good year...

it's spectacular!

XOXO,

Lucky Dog

♥

Click on the photos to view the larger versions.
They're SO worth it!  J

My New Lace Scarf

Finally!  

After much perseverance and major stalls due to injury...

I not only finished knitting my lace scarf, 

I also finished blocking it!

My lace knitting teacher says that before knitted lace is blocked, 

it kind of resembles an old dishrag.  

But she said, just wait until after it’s blocked.  

Oh, she was so right, ‘cause here it is after blocking:

Blocking makes all the difference in the world, 

and is especially crucial to knitted lace.

To block my piece of rectangular lace, 

I dampened it and let it dry under tension.  

I pulled it taut and pinned it down, and used blocking wires
to help me get the sides nice and straight.

There are some great blocking boards for sale out there ($$), 

but I just pinned it to my carpet (after some careful measuring) 

and turned on the ceiling fan.

Drying the lace with it pulled apart 

opens up all those beautiful holes you worked so hard to create, 

and shows off the lace pattern to its fullest.  

And the piece stays that way (with such a beautiful drape) 

until it gets wet again.

It’s kind of like ironing, 

except there’s no pressing, there’s tension.  

You pull and shape it to the desired size, 

keep it that way with pins, and voilà, 

once it is dry--it is a thing most delicate and lovely.

♥ The closest thing to butterfly wings. ♥

If you haven’t ever knitted lace before, give it a go.  

It is absolutely thrilling to un-pin a piece of blocked lace 

and realize that you made that delicate creation.

I’m thinking that knitting a swatch of lace
the size of a handkerchief would be a nice bite-sized way to go, 

and a great way to sample different patterns.

And if I weren’t before, I realize that now I am,

 and will be for many years to come, a Knitter of Lace.  

A lace person.  

And that if all I ever knitted from now on was lace, 

it would be a wonderful thing.

XOXO,

Lucky Dog

♥

John Wayne Quote

I painted and lettered this little piece

with PanPastels

and a white Zig marker made for dark paper.

I do the lettering first,

and then I mask off the area for the rectangle and paint it.

That way I don't have to center anything

or hope the quote turns out the right length.

Hey, work smarter, not harder, right??

XOXO,

Lucky Dog

♥

Fun

So I’m reading this book on emotional energy...

(free from the library, of course)

After talking about needing something to look forward to

(whether it’s a big vacation or just a new recipe to try),

the author also mentioned the importance of fun.

And the way she put it was so cool,

that I wanted to share it with you:

“Fun isn’t something you do.  

Fun is the way you do something.”

And I was reminded of Uncle Si on the TV show, Duck Dynasty.

For those of you who haven’t seen the show,

Uncle Si is 64 years old and is always upbeat, lighthearted and doing crazy things. 

It makes him seem tons younger than his 66 year old brother, Daddy Phil, who is Mr. Serious.

In fact, A&E wasn’t sure that the show would work

without lots of cussing, conflict and the usual reality show craziness/formula. 

But they took another look at Uncle Si and decided to go for it.

Fun is definitely the way Uncle Si approaches everything!

And it’s nice to “see” an example of a fun-loving older person,
isn’t it?

 I think that’s what I want to be like when I grow up!

♥♥♥

XOXO,

Lucky Dog

♥

Stress

A psychologist walked around a room

while teaching stress management to an audience.

As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected
they'd be asked the "half empty or half full" question.

Instead, with a smile on her face, she inquired:

"How heavy is this glass of water?"

Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.

She replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter.

It depends on how long I hold it.

If I hold it for a minute, it's not a problem.

If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my arm.

If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and paralyzed. 

In each case, the weight of the glass doesn't change,

but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."

She continued,

"The stresses and worries in life are like that glass of water.

Think about them for a while and nothing happens.

Think about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt.

And if you think about them all day long,

you will feel paralyzed – incapable of doing anything."

It’s important to remember to let go of your stresses.

As early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down.

Don't carry them through the evening and into the night.

Remember to put the glass down.

♥ ♥ ♥


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